Economics in Literature: An Analysis of Economic Theory in John Milton’s Paradise Lost

John Milton’s Paradise Lost is a poetry text rife with economic thought that precedes the publications of the most prominent thinkers in modern economics. Centered mostly around ideas of Christianity, Milton’s work uses allegory and imagery to emphasize the economic dynamics that are embedded in religious thought. I will analyze Paradise Lost as a theoretical economic framework that consolidates the never-ending struggle between free-market capitalism and communism—represented by the Devil and God. Looking closely at key features of Christian theology and analyzing it through the lens of Milton’s work, I will relate key events in Genesis to modern economic theory.